Seam taping machine



July 16 1935- P. L. ODQNNELL SEAM TAPING MACHINE Filed Jlll'y 3, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 awww Patented July 16, 1935 UNITED srn'rss PATENT 'OFFIQE Application July 3,

5 Claims.

This invention relates to tape applying :fnachines and especially to that class of taping nia-- chines by means of which tape is rendered adhesive and applied to the seams of shoes of vari- "5 ous kinds.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which is especially adapted to apply tape, smoothly and without puckering, to seams having a compound curve such as may be found lo in the heel seam of the uppers of ladies slippers,

the work being right side out as the tape is applied.

Another object of the invention is tc provide for the arrangement of parts in a device oi this kind so that the seam. operated upon may be shaped during the application of the tape, thereby eliminating Vthefbulges and puclers which ordinarily occur in a taped seam which must be subsequently shaped and formed.

Another object of the invention is to arrange for the operation of parts so that an operator may tape a complete lot` oi pieces as rapidlyY as they can be fed to the machine, the seams being flattened and shaped simultaneously with the application of the tape.

Another object is to provide for the continuous operation of the machine to the end that an entire lot of completed parts such as uppers are properly formed and iinished and adhesively secured to a single length of tape, the parts being separated by severing the tape.

' VThese and other objects are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the ac` companying drawings, in which:

35 Fig. l is a fragmental vertical sectional view showing the method of taping the seam of a piecof work with the machine of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational View of a machine of the invention.

including an electric tape pre-heating means looking toward the right on Fig. 1 and showing the operating elements in one position.

Fig. 4' is a fragmental end elevation of the i5 operating elements in another position.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view or" one of the operating elements. i

In the present invention there are presented new and useful improvements in the operating i elements in a taping machine which so co-operate as to open new fields of adaptability and irnproved and increased production methods in the manufactiu'e of shoes.

The invention provides essentially for the application of tape to seams with the Work in a Fig. 8 is an end elevational view of the device 1929, Serial No. 375,796

. right side out relation sc that the normal efforts of the operator in feeding the Work to the machine ,assist the machine to give the desired shape -to the wenn in Fig. l a of shoe upper members U are shown stitched together to: form a 5 heel'seam` S held in substantially the position of the desired ultimate shape upon a piece of tape T. The tape has on its upper face adhesive substance in a tacky state. The seam S has the right side up and is being stretched by the normal efforts of the' hands of the operator in ieeding the work Ithrough the machine.

The device comprises an upright it mounted on a base l! and having an arm i2 overhanging the base. A shaft i3 is suitably journalled the arm and it is turned by a suitably driven pulley lll. At one end of shaft i3 is a co-operating' cam structure indicated generally as l5, by means of which a hammer rod Iii and a presser foot rod l'l have alternating and substantially vertically reciprocatory movement imparted thereto with great rapidity. The rod it is alsoarranged sol that the cam mechanism l5 also swings rearwardly on the downward movement and returns it on its upward movement;

A rotary anvil i8 having its axis set forwardly of the rod i6 upon an axle it has a rounded periphery E0. The rod l'i has attached to its depending end a presser foot 2i which ris cleft or divided at providing edge pressing portions u 23 which are arcuately cut away at it@ complementarily to the rounded anvil face 20. When the rod ll descends the curved faces 24 of the presser foot 2l engage the anvil above and slightly to the rear of the vertical diameter of the anvil, as may be noted in Figs. 2 and 4i. The downward and rearward movement of the presser foot 2l is adapted to impart a smoothing and pressing action upon a tape and the edges of a seam operated upon thereby and also facilitates the manual operation of drawing piece of Work between the anvil and operating parts by the operator. As previously explained the hammer rod i6 has a vertical reciprocation in alternate sequence to that of the presser foot 45 rod il. A hammer 25 is secured to the hammer rod I6 and operates in the cleft or space 22 of the presser foot. By reference to Figs. 2 and 3 it will be noted that the contacting face 26 oi hammer 25 conforms substantially to the peripheral curvature of the anvil I8. A suitably mounted guard 2l is disposed about the front of the anvil i8 and has a top or table portion 28 which is disposed thereabout, or slightly above a tangential position, with relation to the periphery 2li of the anvil. The interior of the guard 2l forms a guide through which an adhesive tape 2i! is passed onto the anvil with the adhesive side of the tape up or outwardly of the face of the anvil. As shown in Fig. 3 the adhesive tape 2d is rendered tacky by passing it through an electrically energized tape preheater, diagrammatically shown at Si), through which the tape passes on its way to the guard 2l.. The preheater may be ci any suitable construction, for example as shown in my United States Patent 1,556,124 of October 6, i925. The material comprising the seam to be taped is passed over the top or table portionriiiV beneath the operating members El and 25 with the finished side of the material 'facing upwardly and exposed` to the View or the operator. The rough edges ci the seam on the unfinished side are thus spread (upon the tape) over the rounded tace t! of Athe anvil while the hammer 25 eects a series of rapid blows at the center oi the seam on the iinished side of the material which eifectiveiy flatten the seam thus. eliminate a l'iire operation in a separate machine. The machine effects step by step feeding' oi the work. between the rapid series of blows upon the seam and the normal tension exerted upon the seam by the operator will effectively condition the parts to assume substantially the desired. ulti late shape. In this way the seam is rendered very flat and the shorter curves, as on the inside oi a heel seam have just the necessary length of tape over them so that ali tendency to puckering :and imperfect'adhesion isV overcome. Simultaneously with this series oi rapid hammer lolo-ws the presser foot 2l is reciprocated in alternate sequence with the hammer and this foot spreads and presses the edges of theV seam outwardly and rearwardly over the adhesive face oi the tape. Where the intended curve of the seam in material operated upon conforms generally to the curve of the top or the anvil the operator merely draws pushes the work between the anvil and operating members with a slight downward movement. It will be noted from Figs. 2 and 3 that the sides, front and rear of the machine aboutthe anvil and operating members are clear and unobstructed to permit of free manipulation of the wor s. If the exterior curve of the iinished seam is to be convex the operator passes the work between the operating elements and anvil and simultaneously imparts an upward or lifting movement to the material. Where the outward contour ofa finished seam is to include both concave and convex portions the operator combines the aforementioned movements of the work as the several curves of the seam approach the operating members. It should be noted however that the material and the seam to be pressed and taped tends to direct the work in the desired direction independently of the manipulation of inexperienced operator may perlormperfect work with the machine. The speed oi operation or the machine by the operator is limited only by the speed of the operators movements in feeding seam after seam in successive pieces of work beneath the operating elements. In this way the successive pieces oi work follow one another on a single tape with practically no waste oi adhesive tape. The tape is severed at the opposite ends'of the seam after a lot has been completed. It will be observed that Vthe tape has been stretched and formed both laterally and longitudinally of the seam as it was the operator` so that an' a tape over applied during the normal rapid feeding of the pieces of work through the machine by the operator.

What is claimed is:

l. In a machine for taping heel seams and the like, the combina-tion of a freely movlng arcuate y tape receiving anvil, tape thereto, means to preheat the tape to render one lace adhesive, said adhesive being exposed when the tape is on the anvil, a work guide over which a shoe upper or the like having a seam to be taped may be direc-ted with the rough side of the seam downward for contacting the tape on theanvil, and means reciprocable onto the smooth side o the seam to spread the seam laterally onto the tape and to direct intermittent blows on the seam, the spreading and hammering aotion of said means cooperating with the anvil to progressively hatten the seam, spread the tape laterally over the seam and to simultaneously torni the work and tape arcuately along the seam.

2. In a device for taping curved seams of shoe uppers and the like in a right side out condition comprising a freely rotatable anvil having a transversely arcuate periphery, guide means over which such stitched shoe upper or the like may be directed with a seam right side up for movement over the anvil, means to supply single faced adhesive tape onto the anvil with the adhesive side up whereby the tapeV may be progressively positioned over the rough side of the seam as the work is manually moved over the anvil, and cooperating reciprocating means operative upon the righ-t side of the work for transversely spreading the work. and tape and for directing blows onto the seam as the work is moved over the anvil whereby the tape is caused to adhere to the work tor covering the seam and the Work is simultaneously formed to the ultimate desired shape.

3. In a device for operating upon material having curved edges sev/ed together to provide an ultimate curved form giving seam comprising a freely rotatable anvil', means to direct tape thereon with the adhesive side up, a work guide permitting the material to be directed progressively onto the tape on the anvil with the seam under mild transverse tension, a presser foot reciprocable onto the outer face of the work on opposite sides of the seam and an alternately reciprocable hammer mechanism for directing blows progressively to the seam intermediate the spreading portions or the presser foot.

ll. A step by step tape applicator and seam forming device comprising a freely rotatable anvil, means to feed tape onto the anvil and a combined reciprocating presser foot and alternately reciprocating hammer mechanism cooperating therewith to effect lateral spreading and forming of an interposed seam carrying material ask said material is progressively fed, right side up over the tape on the anvil and beneath said mechanism.

5. In a device of the class described the combination of a freely rotatable anvil member having an arcuate peripheral face, means to direct the face of the anvil with the adhesive side of the tape uppermost and an alternately reciprocable step by step feed presser foot and hammer mechanism operable toward the anvil for stretching, flattening and shaping seams of work fed therebeneath and simultaneously eirecting adhesion and shaping of the tape and the Work. l

PHILIP L. ODONNELL.

means to direct heatplastic 

